When Chinese Christians feel a call to pastoral work, they need to be trained. In China, the options are more limited than in the West. A believer might go to study in a house church Bible school, or to a formal Three-Self Patriotic Movement seminary, or possibly, if the supporting church has the finances and the connections for the required support, that future pastor might go overseas to study theology and pastoral skills in the USA or elsewhere.
I see the severe shortage of workers in the church in China
Rex Chen graduated from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and The Master’s University, both in the USA, a study process that altogether took 12 years of his life and ministry. Now Chen is asking a question: “Do Chinese Christians still need to study theology abroad since we have entered the online learning era?” Chen comments, “I see the severe shortage of workers in the church in China. On the one hand, there is a need to study theological knowledge, but on the other hand, there is an urgent spiritual need at home. Going abroad for four years means at least a four-year absence from ministry in China.”
Chen concluded, “for most Christians and pastors, I believe that it is no longer necessary to spend four years studying theology abroad. You can now study theology online, either through free or paid programmes. Most books in the field are already digitised and can be accessed or downloaded online. In addition, there are numerous theological resources available on the internet, and with the help of artificial intelligence, online theological studies are no longer a barrier. In fact, they may be faster, more efficient, and more comprehensive than traditional in-person learning.”
As a Chinese, Chen is also critical of the Western teaching ethic. “In Western culture and work schedules, professors and pastors often have office hours, meaning that most interactions are limited to one-hour appointments. After work, most people in Western culture live their own lives, rather than integrating life into a community as often happens in Eastern cultures. Therefore, I see little difference between in-person interactions and scheduling an online conversation. If that is not enough, you can always contact the professors privately to schedule more time.”
The language and cultural barrier is a major obstacle
The language and cultural barrier is another major obstacle to Chen. “If the language and cultural gap is too large, it becomes challenging to engage in high-quality discipleship” outside of China. Combined with language barriers, the effect of life-on-life discipleship overseas may be further diminished.
And of course there is the issue of finance, the cost of travelling, living and studying in the West.
Chen feels studying overseas can lead to disconnect. “Often, after several years of studying abroad, the congregation at home may have changed, and even the leadership in the church may have shifted. So, after several years abroad, returning home may not lead to a smooth transition back into ministry. In the worst cases, it may even be impossible to return to the original church for ministry, necessitating a search for new ministry opportunities.”
Derek Prince's life-changing teaching is available in the Chinese language
Derek Prince Ministries has made a very significant shift to an online presence, making Derek's life-changing teaching available in the Chinese language to any who wish to study the vast resources that are available online. Materials like the Laying The Foundation Series have for many years been a source of solid training for house church pastors and leaders in hard copy form. These materials are now fully available online.
Prayer Points:
- Pray for the Lord’s leading in the lives of young Chinese who feel called to pastoral or church ministry
- Pray for the online ministry of Derek Prince Ministries that the Lord would use it to prepare many for His service
- Pray for labourers for the church in China.
Source: ChinaSource
